diff --git a/compiler/cpp/src/parse/t_program.h b/compiler/cpp/src/parse/t_program.h
index 12fcf0e..dfd9d43 100644
--- a/compiler/cpp/src/parse/t_program.h
+++ b/compiler/cpp/src/parse/t_program.h
@@ -188,7 +188,8 @@
         if (sub_index != std::string::npos) {
           std::string sub_namespace = language.substr(sub_index+1);
           if ( ! it->second->is_valid_namespace(sub_namespace)) {
-            throw base_language + " generator does not accept '" + sub_namespace + "' as sub-namespace!";
+            std::string warning = base_language + " generator does not accept '" + sub_namespace + "' as sub-namespace!";
+            pwarning(1, warning.c_str());
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/test/ThriftTest.thrift b/test/ThriftTest.thrift
index 2be53fa..be000b6 100644
--- a/test/ThriftTest.thrift
+++ b/test/ThriftTest.thrift
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@
 namespace php ThriftTest
 namespace delphi Thrift.Test
 namespace cocoa ThriftTest
+
+// Presence of namespaces and sub-namespaces for which there is
+// no generator should compile with warnings only
+namespace noexist ThriftTest
+namespace cpp.noexist ThriftTest
+
 namespace * thrift.test
 
 /**
@@ -368,4 +374,4 @@
 struct StructB {
   1: optional StructA aa;
   2: required StructA ab;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}